First Person: Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

Writing their own history so others know their struggles and triumphs

Worth a thousand words. Refugees from Burma who are currently living in Bangladesh hold on to pictures of their loved ones. They are part of a program that helps refugees tell their own stories about their lives before and after leaving their home country. Clockwise from top: Hafsa, Chekufa, and Sawyeddollah. / Hugh Rutherford, WFP

The world faces a global refugee crisis; more than 25 million people have crossed a border to escape violence or persecution in their home country.

On this World Refugee Day, USAID stands with the millions of refugees around the world and the host countries and communities who help support them. Below are first-person accounts from several Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. These refugees have become UN World Food Program (WFP) Storytellers, empowered to tell their stories in their own voice.

Sawyeddollah, 18, Rakhine State

When I started my journey to Bangladesh I found many other Rohingya people were also fleeing Myanmar for the same reason — they could no longer live at home. I just took some dry rations in the hope it would be enough to last me for 10 days.

Sawyeddollah takes a selfie while out on assignment telling his and others’ stories. / Hugh Rutherford, WFP

But there were many big mountains between my home and Bangladesh, and also these mountains were soaked by rain. I faced many real difficulties to cross that mountain.

I went hungry for four days because my dry ration was finished after 11 days. Finally I reached the border of Bangladesh and I swam across the Naf River on 11 September 2017. Now I’m living here in the largest refugee camp in the world. Hear Sawyeddollah speak about life as a refugee.

Chekufa, 28, Rakhine State

Chekufa takes a selfie during the training WFP provided to refugees on how to be a storyteller. / Saikat Mojumder, WFP

I decided to move from my motherland to Bangladesh [in 2017] to save our lives. After arriving at the camp, my husband managed to clear some land for a shelter, like others were doing in the beginning. I could see many NGOs, the United Nations, and Bangladesh Government giving food and non-food items to people. I could see many people, especially many women, lining up and waiting for support from NGOs.

Seeing this, I imagined that I could do something to help our women and to empower them however I could. Some camp leaders and I organized women for a demonstration that commemorated the one-year anniversary of when we were forced to leave our homes.

After the demonstration, I was so inspired. Some women suggested to me that we should have a women’s group in the camp.

I received support from other women and formed a group named Rohingya Women’s Empowerment and Advocacy Network with 20 central committee members. We extended our hand into different areas of the camps and now the network has total 400 women. I am conducting meetings twice a week with the central committee members, and the members share information to other members in the camps. We are doing some voluntary activities [like women’s and children’s education] without any stipends from outside.

The aim of our group is to return to Myanmar as soon as possible. This is why the network is trying to empower women in camps so that they can talk, raise voices, and fight for justice.

Hafsa, 21, Rakhine State

Hafsa speaks at the WFP storytelling workshop held for Rohingya refugees in April. / Claire Nevill, WFP

Excerpts from a letter to her father, who is back in Burma. Hafsa is living with seven family members in the refugee camp, including her mother.

Dear lovely father, Assalamualaikum. I hope you are in good health and safe in our motherland. I am missing you and my motherland, Rakhine. I remember all the things which I have left with you in my old house. Don’t worry for your family, we are all fine.

Daddy, I know you have much more experience than me about life as a refugee. You know we are living here in a small house. And we are living in a crowded area. We are suffering from many things. As you know our family has financial problems. Currently more than one lakh [BDT100,000 or $1,200] for my mother’s sickness. As you know, your children have many ambitions but they cannot achieve these goals [right now].

But don’t worry for your family papa. We can resist and bear everything in our life. This is our life and we must struggle in our life.

Papa, I want to see your face and want to talk face-to-face. I don’t know why I cannot control my tears while I am writing this letter. It’s falling down from my eyes. I hope and always pray for one thing, that is to come back to our original country of Myanmar. I hope we can meet soon in our motherland of Rakhine.

About the Author

USAID’s Office of Food for Peace compiled this story. Follow @USAIDFFP on Twitter.

Learn more about USAID’s food assistance support for refugees here.

Learn more about USAID’s support for the Rohingya crisis here.

Learn more about WFP’s Storytellers program here.